Learn French: Le représentant a refusé la fonction. - The representative refused the position.

While un poste refers to a specific job or physical position, une fonction emphasizes the official role, duties, or capacity. At an upper-intermediate level, using fonction sounds more formal and highlights the responsibilities involved.

The current lesson focuses on en tant que. How would I say "The manager refused the position as a representative"?

You would say Le directeur a refusé la fonction en tant que représentant. Remember that after en tant que (as a), you must drop the article before professions or roles. You use représentant, not un représentant.

I know refuser means to refuse. How would I say he refused to accept the position?

When refuser is followed by a verb (an infinitive), you must use the preposition de. You would say Il a refusé d'accepter la fonction. Here, since it is followed directly by a noun (la fonction), no preposition is needed.

Can représentant mean a sales rep, or is it only for politics?

It works for both, just like in English! In business, un représentant is often short for un représentant de commerce (a sales representative). Depending on the context, it can also refer to a legal, political, or union representative.